Propeller



July 28,'1931. J. w. wHlTLocK PROPELLER Filed July 17, 1929 6 f a l 2.1.

PatentedvJuly 28, 1931 JOEINNT.y WHIrLocK, 0F RrsING SUN, INDIANAl PROBE-LIER Miniemen med July 17,

This :invention relates to propellers and more particularly to a propeller for row boats and vother'water craft.

- `@ne object ofthe invention is to provide a- 5 boat'with a Ypropeller soconstr-ucted that it may'bemounted at the stern of a boat somewhat similar tothe manner in which an outboard motor is applied while at the same time the'motor for driving the'propeller may be 10 mounted Vin the boat itself near the stern where it will-be out of the way and also eliminate a drive shaft extending longitudinally in the boat.

.,-Another object of theinventiony is to so 15 form the propeller vthat when it is applied to a boat in position for use it will normally extend downwardly into the water but at the same time allow the propeller to be swung upwardly toward one side Where it will be out Tzo of the way and not interfere with grounding the boat upon a shallow beach or prevent the boat from being removed from the water and readily supported in an upright position upon the deck of a larger boat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a propeller for boats having a pair of propeller wheels disposed one in front ofthe other and means for transmitting` rotary motion to these wheels from a drive shaft and causing them to rotate in reverse directions. By this arrangement the efficiency of the rear propeller will not be reduced by the backwash from the front propeller.

Another object of the invention is to provide propellingA means for a boat having a compact construction and adapted to be very easily applied to a boat.

The invention is illustratedin the accompanying` drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the propeller showing the same applied to a boat, and

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

This improved boat propeller is intended to be mounted at the rear of a boat, a portion of which is shown in Fig. 1 and indicated by the numeral 1 and is to be attached to the stern board 2 of the boat. The casing 3 is of a tubular formation and preferably tapers 1929. serial No. 379,068.

towards its Vfront/and rear,y as shown in Fig. 2,

.so that vit may very easily cut through'the water when the boat isI in motion. A crosshead 4 extends transversely of the casing 3 at its lower end and this crosshead projects w from opposite portions of the casing so that its'ends 'may project forwardly and ,rearwardly. Propeller shafts 5 and y6 extend longitudinally inthe crosshead with their outer ends projectingtherefrom andcarry- 30 ing propeller Wheels 7 :and 8, the 'blades .of which are pitched in opposite directions so that when the'se shafts and wheelsare rotated one toward the right and .the'othertoward the left the wheels will both serve ltoV propel theboat forwardly. Sincepthe blades of the twopropellers are pitched in opposite' "direcf tions, the backwash ofthefront wheel-@will not prevent the rear Wheel from driving the boatforwardly.

Ingrorder to rotate the propeller shafts in opposite directions7 there has been provided transmission shafts -9 andflO Which extend yaxially through the casing :3. The shaft "9 Y extendsthrough Vthe shaftxlO 'with its' ends 75 projecting above vand below the same and at their lower ends these shafts carry beveled gears A11V and v12 Ywhich mesh'with beveled gears 13 and 14 fast'upon the inner ends of the propeller shafts 5 and 6. `The/upper portions of theftransmission shafts extend into l a gea-r 'housing 15 which-is secured to the upper end of the casing by' removablel bolts passed through outstanding lflanges-171and 18. A necl-19 projectsfforwardly from the gear: housing and through this neck' extends adriveshaft20. This drive shaft'- carries a beveled gear'21 at its inner'end which meshes with beveledl gears-22v and 23 fixed upon the transmission shaftsl 9 and 10 aiidinthe rear portion of the l gear housing is rotatably mounted an idler lgear 24 extending between and meshing 'withL the' gears 2,2 and 23. By this arrangement rotation ofthe driveshaft 95 will' cause the transmission shafts -9 andl 10 to tu'r'n'inoppositev directions and'by means of the gears'upon their lower ends rotary motion will be transmitted to the propeller shafts and cause these shafts vand thev ypro- 10c peller wheels carried thereby to rotate in opposite directions.

Vhen this improved propeller is installed, an opening 25 is bored in the stern board of the boat and a socket 26 secured about the opening by bolts 27. The neck of the gear housing is passed through the socket into the opening 25 and an outstanding collar 28 formed about the neck 19 iits into the socket where it is overlapped by a clamping ring 29 secured to the socket in overlapping relation to the collar by bolts 30. The drive shaft 20 projects into the boat and carries a coupling 30 adapted to be secured to a companion coupling fixed upon the shaft by a motor mounted in the rear portion of the boat. Therefore, the motor may be mounted near the stern of the boat where it will be out of the way.v Under normal conditions the casing is disposed vertically with the end portions of the head 4 extending forwardly and rearwardly and the propeller wheel 8 will be depressed beneath the bottom of the boat whereas the propeller wheel 7 is well to the rear of the'boat. Both propeller wheels rotate but they turn in opposite directions and, therefore, the blades of the rear wheel which are pitched in an opposite direction to the blades of the front wheel may obtain a good grip upon the water and their etliciency will not be reduced by the backwash of the front propeller wheel. If it is desired to make re-y pairs to the propeller or it is desired to ground the boat upon a shallow beach or lift the boat from the water and place it upon the deck of a larger boat, the bolts 16 are removed thereby allowing the casing to be turned to such a position that the head 4 extends transversely of the boat instead of longitudinally thereof with the two propeller wheels both back of the boat. The bolts 30 are loosened suiiiciently to relieve the collar 28 from frictional grip by the ring 29 and the casing may be swung upwardly with the gear housing turning about the drive shaft. Therefore, the propeller wheels may be swung upwardly out of the way or to such a height that they may be easily reached and necessary cleaning or repairs performed.

I have, therefore, provided a boat propeller which is simple'and compact in its construction and may be very easily applied to a boat in approximately the position ordinar-Y ily occupied by an outboard motor.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

l. Propelling means for a boat comprising a casing, a housing at the upper end of said casing, a drive shaft extending into said housing, propeller shafts at the lower end of said casing having their ends projecting from opposite ends of the casing, propellers secured upon the outer ends of the propeller shafts, means extending through said casing for transmitting rotary motion from said drive shaft to said propeller shafts, said casing being releasably secured at its upper end to said housing to normally retain the propeller shafts substantially parallel to the drive shaft and adapted to be turned about its axis when released to dispose the propeller shafts transversely of the drive shaft, and means for securing said housing to a boat adapted to permit the housing to be turned about the drive shaft as an axis and swing the casing and propeller upwardly.

2. Propelling means for a boat comprising a casing, a housing at the upper end of said casing, a drive shaft extending into said housing, a propeller shaft at the lower end of said casing, a propeller secured thereon, means extending through said casing for transmitting rotary motion from said drive shaft to said propeller shaft, a neck extending from said housing about said drive shaft, a circular collar about said neck, and a socket adapted to be secured to a boatand rotatably receiving said collar to mountthe neck for rotary motion and allow the neck and housing to be turned about the drive shaft as an axis and swing the casing upwardly from a normally depending position to a raised position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN w. wi-nTLooK. [a Sg SAO 

